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DAVIS COUNTY, Utah -- The growth rate of Type 1 diabetes among Utah students in grades K-12 is rapid.

The Utah Health Department said the most recent data shows in the 2015 to 2016 school year, there were 2,000 Type 1 diabetic students statewide.

The Davis County School District recognized the rapid increase in newly diagnosed students more than five years ago, and at that time they developed a Diabetes Education Program.

They collaborated with The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the American Diabetes Association, and the Primary Childrens Hospital diabetes clinic to develop their program.

We've had 56 graduates in this program the past five years, said Adam King, one of the program coordinators. Our number of diabetics has gone up exponentially over the years. There are new ones being diagnosed every day. We had three new ones diagnosed this week."

King said the program provides a valuable service, especially to children who may feel afraid after a diagnosis.

"And being able to have this program helps parents, helps educators, helps students have some confidence because its scary to be diagnosed with diabetes; it's life-threatening," he said. "When they are so young it can cause a lot of fear and apprehension.

Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disease and means the pancreas organ has stopped doing its job, which is to produce insulin to break down the food youre eating and turn it into nutrients and energy for your body to use. If the disease is not controlled, it can cause major complications and even become deadly.

When a student is more worried about being able to survive day-to-day, whether they are hungry, whether their blood sugar is going to be up or down, how it's impacting them, they don't have the brain power to think about learning their math or their science or English, King said. A program like this takes all the students as they come, with disabilities, with diabetes, and gives them a safe, appropriate education.

The program is catered to individual diabetics. Some students are older or have a better grasp of their condition early on.

Diabetes can be diagnosed at any age. The program is step-based and starts with the essentials, then progresses to counting carbohydrates and calculating how many insulin units a diabetic would need to inject or dial on their insulin pump.

It starts with basics such as washing hands or starting to recognize how they're feeling, and it develops up through five levels of getting to the point where they are counting their own carbs, doing their own blood sugar checks, and giving their own insulin doses," King said. "At the end they have a one-month trial where they are doing things without having a [Teacher's Assistant] standing there giving that support.

Recently at Knowlton Elementary School, 8-year-old Emerie Gelter, graduated from the program earlier than most diabetic students her age. Emerie is still in second grade.

We are very proud of Emerie, said King as he handed her a certificate of graduation from the program. She has gone through a lot of stuff. She has great family support, but she also does a good job with advocating for herself. She is very precocious. She is very excited and that helps her being a self-advocate.

The program is critical for most diabetic students because they learn to take care of themselves at school as they move on to higher levels of learning.

A lot of times we have students who focus on safety so much that they learn a helplessness to where they expect someone to do everything for them, King said. And while we want them to be safe, we also want them to develop those skills.

The Davis County School District is aware other districts do not use the same diabetes program and have talked with parents who have diabetic children who attend other districts. Those parents have seen what Davis is doing and are encouraged by the results.

Davis County would like to see all Utah schools implement a Diabetes Education Program similar to this one.

I don't know why it's not at other schools; this is something we developed on our own about five years ago because we recognized that while we were trying to achieve our goal with the students self-managing, there wasn't a good way to show their progress," King said."This isn't a one-size fits-all program; this is something that we take standardization and framework and cater to what a student needs and the pace they want to move at.

If you want to explore the program at Davis County School District, click here.

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Young Utahn recognized for early graduation from Diabetes Education Program - fox13now.com

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The type 2 diabetes prescription drug canagliflozin (brand names Invokana, Invokamet, Invokamet XR) appears to increase the risk of leg and foot amputations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.

The FDA is requiring the medications to carry new warnings about the risk. The required warnings on the drug's labeling include the most serious and prominent boxed warning.

The agency's decision is based on data from two large clinical trials showing that leg and foot amputations occurred about twice as often in patients taking canagliflozin as among those taking a placebo.

Amputations of the toe and middle of the foot were the most common, but leg amputations below and above the knee also occurred. Some patients had more than one amputation, some had amputations involving both limbs, according to the FDA.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps to usher sugar from foods into the body's cells. When this process doesn't work correctly, blood sugar levels rise. Left untreated, high blood sugar levels can cause a number of possible complications, including heart disease, kidney problems and amputations, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Canagliflozin is meant to be used with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It belongs to a class of drugs called sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. These drugs lower blood sugar levels by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through the urine.

It is available as a single-ingredient product under the brand name Invokana and also in combination with the diabetes medicine metformin under the brand name Invokamet.

Patients taking canagliflozin should immediately notify their health care providers if they develop new pain or tenderness, sores or ulcers, or infections in the legs or feet, the FDA said in a news release. Patients should not stop taking their medication without first talking to their health care provider.

Before prescribing canagliflozin to patients, doctors should consider factors that may predispose patients to the need for amputations, including a history of prior amputation, peripheral vascular disease, neuropathy, and diabetic foot ulcers, the FDA said.

In addition, doctors should monitor patients taking canagliflozin for the above signs and symptoms, and discontinue canagliflozin if these complications occur.

In a statement, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the maker of canagliflozin, said the company had already shared the findings on amputation risk with medical professionals prior to this warning.

"While the incidence was low, the highest incidence of amputations across all treatments was seen in patients with prior amputation," Janssen said. "At Janssen, patient safety is our highest priority. We are working with FDA to include this information in the prescribing information for canagliflozin."

WebMD News from HealthDay

SOURCES: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, news release, May 16, 2017; statement, Janssen Pharmaceuticals

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Diabetes Drug Gets FDA Warning Due to Amputation Risk - WebMD

by: Darrell Greene Updated: May 17, 2017 - 10:40 PM

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Diabetes is attacking younger Americans more often than ever before.

According to new research released by the New England Journal of Medicine, cases of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes rose dramatically between 2002 and 2012.

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Those new diagnoses crossed all racial boundaries in young people through age 20.

While a cure is still distant on the horizon according to researchers, new treatments are helping diabetics live longer and better lives.

Emily Fonville is your average 15-year-old learning to drive, playing high school sports, and of course dressing up for the prom.

What you can't see in her pictures, is her daily fight against type 1 diabetes.

"It's like the hidden disease," Emily said.

But that fight is becoming more and more winnable.

Just three weeks ago, Emily became the first person in the Mid-South and one of the first in the nation to begin wearing the artificial pancreas.

It's true name, Medtronic is the hybrid closed loop system.

It's comprised of an insulin pump which attaches to the patient's skin, and a sensor which monitors in real time the patient's blood sugar.

The sensor sends those readings to the pump and when the patient's blood sugar is high, the pump gives the patient a precisely measured dose of insulin.

If the patient's blood sugar is too low, it has the ability to suspend delivery of insulin automatically.

"It is a game changer," Emily exclaimed when asked about the new tool.

Dr. Kashif Latif is Emily's doctor. He's one of the leading endocrinologists in the nation.

"There's a lot of technology going on, but this breakthrough has been the best thing ever for people with type 1 diabetes," said Latif who operates the first insulin pump center in nation out of his practice in Bartlett.

And while he admits this is not a cure, he said it's the next best thing to come along to date.

"It kind of matches what our body or our pancreas does for us. It's a more physiologic delivery of insulin for high glucose or low glucose," said Latif.

That means a lot less worry about diabetes for Emily.

"I think it is life changing. Being on this pump I feel like a normal person. I don't have to pull out a shot and give it in the middle of a restaurant.

I can just look down, press a button, and it's done."

FOX13 spoke to representatives of Medtronic who said the company was somewhat taken off guard.

They applied to the FDA for approval of the system in 2015, understanding that the approval process can take years.

But the human trials of the system went so well, the hybrid closed loop system was approved late last year.

Medtronic is making the systems as quickly as they can to fill the need.

2017 Cox Media Group.

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Artificial pancreas helping people with diabetes - FOX13 Memphis

The FDA has approved a new drug that could reverse the effects of diabetic macular edema, which is what causes blindness in people with diabetes.

Jeremy Baker, KENS 1:34 PM. CDT May 17, 2017

A new medication could help reverse diabetes vision loss. (Photo: KENS)

Diabetes is reportedly the number one cause of blindness in the United States. Until recently, there was no way to reverse it. However, a fairly new drug recently approved by the FDA is changing that.

"It was one of those things that's hard to believe," said Sonny Groves, a portrait photographer. He found out he had diabetes 20 years ago. "As the disease progressed, I had problems like neuropathy in the hands and feet, that sort of thing," Groves said.

His vision also started to go. That's when he was referred to the Medical Center Ophthalmology Associates.

"Better control of your blood sugar will give us better control of the back of your eye," said Dr. Michael Singer as he examined Groves' vision. Singer is the director of clinical trials at MCOA.

"Dr. Singer was the first one to notice I had any problems because he noticed tiny bleeders in my retina," Groves said.

"When tissues are deprived of oxygen, they scream for help. They send out a signal called VEGF," said Singer.

The VEGF sends new blood vessels to help the tissues, but that's not a good thing.

"Instead of being helpful, they are actually harmful. They cause swelling in the central part of your vision," Singer said.

In comes a drug called Lucentis.

"This is the first time the FDA has approved a drug like this to reverse the disease," Singer said. The usage is for diabetic retinopathy in patients either with or without diabetic macular edema. This latest approval broadens the diabetic retinopathy indication to include patients both with and without diabetic macular edema.

That disease is called diabetic macular edema. Lucentis is a shot given in the white of the eye after it is numbed. The typical Lucentis dose for diabetic retinopathy is 0.3 mg, which is slightly lower than the 0.5 mg dose used for other eye diseases.

"The process takes literally about two seconds and the results can be seen as early as three days," Singer said.

Groves said the results were amazing.

"When I started taking the Lucentis, it got better. The swelling that causes all of that stopped," Groves said.

"They go from a situation where they are not seeing as well to actually improving their vision and increasing activities they are able to do in their daily life," Singer said.

Now, thanks to Lucentis, Groves said he doesn't have to stop being a photographer.

Some of the side effects of Lucentis could be eye irritation, eye pain, dry eyes or some potentially serious side effects.

Uncommon side effects could reportedly include changes in vision and eye infections.

2017 KENS-TV

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'Breakthrough' drug could reverse vision loss caused by diabetes ... - KENS 5 TV

Science Daily

Improving drugs for type 2 diabetes Science Daily Type 2 diabetes, a prolific killer, is on a steep ascent. According to the World Health Organization, the incidence of the condition has grown dramatically from 108 million cases in 1980 to well over 400 million today. The complex disease occurs when ... and more »

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Improving drugs for type 2 diabetes - Science Daily

Outdoor air temperature may influence a pregnant woman's risk of developing gestational diabetes, a new study suggests.

Mothers-to-be in very cold climes are less likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy than women exposed to hotter temperatures, researchers say.

If borne out in other studies, these findings could have important implications for the prevention and management of gestational diabetes, said study lead author Dr. Gillian Booth.

Changes in temperature may only lead to a small increase in the risk of gestational diabetes, but the number of women affected may be substantial, said Booth. She is a scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

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Also, areas that are getting hotter because of climate change could see more cases of gestational diabetes, the study authors theorized.

Others are less certain of this link, however.

"Temperature and risk of diabetes is a hot topic," said Dr. Joel Zonszein, director of the clinical diabetes center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

However, the study doesn't show a direct cause-and-effect relationship, and Zonszein cautioned that it's too soon to consider the findings definitive.

"Pregnant women or those wanting to become pregnant should not pay attention to this finding at this time, as more studies are needed to show a true causal effect," said Zonszein, who wasn't involved in the study.

Moreover, "the findings of this study do not support that climate change, a rise in global temperatures, increases the incidence of diabetes in Canada or worldwide," he said.

Booth explained that gestational diabetes in women develops in the second trimester of pregnancy and is usually temporary. Women are screened for it at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy.

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If there is a connection between temperature and gestational diabetes risk, cells called brown fat might help explain it.

According to Zonszein, "Brown fat cells are cells that -- instead of storing energy -- burn energy."

Booth speculated that extreme cold triggers activity of brown fat, thus controlling weight gain. It might even lead to weight loss, improving blood-sugar levels, she noted.

However, Zonszein said that many environmental factors -- such as excessive food intake, sugary drinks, inactivity, stress and lack of sleep -- can cause gestational diabetes in women genetically susceptible to the disease.

"Genetic factors are very important," he said, "and they are affected by many environmental factors, probably temperature is one more."

For this study, the researchers analyzed about 500,000 births in the Toronto area over 12 years. The researchers also looked at the average temperature for 30 days before diabetes testing, then compared temperature readings with results of the diabetes testing.

In women exposed to extreme cold -- 14 degrees Fahrenheit or lower -- in the month before the test, gestational diabetes was less than 5 percent. But it was about 8 percent for women when temperatures averaged 75 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the findings showed.

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Not just heat stroke, but kidney stones, salmonella and other health issues may become far more prevalent as our planet gets warmer

Moreover, the odds of developing gestational diabetes rose slightly with every 18-degree rise in temperature, Booth said.

The association held up whether women were born in hot climates or colder regions, she added.

"Furthermore, the same association was seen when we looked at consecutive pregnancies in the same woman," Booth said.

Besides a healthy diet and physical activity to avoid excess weight, controlling temperature might be something women can do for a healthier pregnancy, Booth suggested.

"For example, turning down the thermostat and getting outside in the winter, or using air conditioning in summer, and avoiding excess layers in hot weather may help to lower the risk of gestational diabetes," she said.

An association between temperature and gestational diabetes was also reported last September in a Swedish study. In that paper, researchers found that gestational diabetes was more common in the summer than in other seasons.

Booth said the findings of the new study might also pertain to developing type 2 diabetes.

"The risk factors for gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes are virtually the same," she said.

The report was published online May 15 in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Read more:
Could warmer temperatures raise diabetes risk in pregnancy? - CBS News

Gestational diabetes is a birth complication affecting millions of women worldwide. New research examines the link between air temperature and the risk of developing this condition.

Gestational diabetes (GD) is a temporary form of diabetes that affects some women during pregnancy. These future mothers often have no history of diabetes prior to getting pregnant, but their blood sugar increases by the time they are halfway through their pregnancy.

In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in the United States, as many as 9.2 percent of pregnant women may be affected by GD. Worldwide, around 1 in 7 births are affected by this complication.

GD occurs when the hormones in the placenta trigger insulin resistance, meaning that healthy blood sugar levels cannot be maintained.

Sensitivity to insulin is known to be improved by exposure to cold temperatures, during which the body produces more heat to keep itself warm. However, could it be that outside air temperatures have a larger impact on the risk of developing GD?

Researchers from St. Michael's Hospital, the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), Mount Sinai Hospital, and the University of Toronto - all in Ontario, in Canada - set out to explore the connection between outdoor air temperature and the risk of GD.

The findings were published in CMAJ.

The study examined 555,911 births from 396,828 women over a period of 12 years, from 2002 to 2014.

The women were 31 years old on average, and lived in the Greater Toronto Area. Approximately half of the mothers were not born in Canada.

Extremely cold outdoor temperatures were defined as an average of 10C or less, and hot temperatures as 24C on average.

The women were exposed to these different temperatures for 30 days before being screened for GD.

GD occurred in 4.6 percent of the women that had been exposed to extremely cold temperatures, but this number jumped to 7.7 percent for the women who had been exposed to hot temperatures.

Furthermore, each 10C increase in temperature correlated with a 1.06 times higher risk of GD. A similar trend was found when the temperature increased between two pregnancies in the same mother.

"By further limiting our analysis to pregnancies within the same woman, we controlled for a whole number of factors," says co-lead author Dr. Joel Ray, a researcher at St. Michael's and ICES. "Doing so allowed us to eliminate factors like ethnicity, income, activity, and eating habits that would differ between two different women."

Lead author Dr. Gillian Booth, a researcher at St. Michael's and ICES, reports on the findings:

"We observed a direct relation between outdoor temperature and the risk of gestational diabetes among nearly 400,000 women residing in a single urban area in Canada.

After adjusting for influential risk factors, each 10C increase in [...] temperature was associated with a 6-9 percent relative increase in the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus."

Although the study was observational and cannot provide causality, Dr. Booth offers a potential explanation for the seemingly counterintuitive results:

"Many would think that in warmer temperatures, women are outside and more active, which would help limit the weight gain in pregnancy that predisposes a woman to gestational diabetes. However, it fits a pattern we expected from new studies showing that cold exposure can improve your sensitivity to insulin, by turning on a protective type of fat called brown adipose tissue."

"Although we studied a single geographical region, our findings are likely to be generalizable to other regions in North America and worldwide," say the authors.

They also warn that, if their findings are correct, this could potentially mean that the worldwide number of GD cases might continue to increase as a consequence of global warming.

"Although changes in temperature of this size may lead to a small relative increase in the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, the absolute number of women affected in Canada and elsewhere may be substantial," the authors conclude.

Learn how the link between depression and GD can work two ways.

Originally posted here:
Can outdoor temperatures influence gestational diabetes? - Medical News Today

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) is required to add new warnings to its diabetes drug, Invokana, about the risk of foot and leg amputations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.

Final results from two clinical trials showed leg and foot amputations occurred about twice as often in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with Invokana, known also as canagliflozin, as those given a placebo, the FDA said in an announcement posted on its website.

The warnings include a boxed warning, reserved for the most serious possible adverse events, the FDA said.

Invokana belongs to a relatively new class of type 2 diabetes drugs called SGLT-2 inhibitors, which help remove excess blood sugar through urine. Others in the class include Eli Lilly and Co's (LLY.N) Jardiance and AstraZeneca Plc's (AZN.L) Farxiga.

The FDA noted that results of one clinical trial showed that over the course of a year the risk of amputation in patients treated with Invokana was equivalent to 5.9 out of 1,000, compared with 2.8 out of 1,000 for patients given a placebo.

A second trial showed the risk of amputation was equivalent to 7.5 out of every 1,000 patients treated with Invokana compared with 4.2 out of every 1,000 patients given a placebo.

The agency said amputations of the toe and middle of the foot were the most common but that amputations involving the leg, below and above the knee, also occurred.

Untreated type 2 diabetes can cause blindness, nerve and kidney damage and heart disease.

(Reporting by Toni Clarke in Washington and Bill Berkrot in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

DUBAI/CAIRO Spilling into the hallways of crowded Yemeni hospitals, children writhe in pain from cholera. Displaced villagers roam baking hot plains and barren mountains to evade warring militias.

The U.S. Justice Department for the second time in a month sued UnitedHealth Group Inc on Tuesday, accusing the nation's largest health insurer of obtaining over $1 billion from Medicare to which it was not entitled.

Merck & Co Inc and Upsher-Smith Laboratories Inc have agreed to pay $60.2 million to resolve a lawsuit that said they entered into a deal to unlawfully delay the availability of generic versions of potassium supplement K-Dur.

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FDA warns of foot, leg amputations with J&J diabetes drug - Reuters

In Brief A year after receiving a new type of islet cell transplant to treat her severe diabetes, a patient continues to do well and no longer needs insulin injections to manage her disease. A Happy Anniversary

Even the most exciting breakthrough medical treatment can be rendered obsolete by a particularly insurmountable obstacle: time. If a treatment only works temporarily, it has little chance of making a significant difference in the lives of patients, which is why the latest news from the University of Miamis Diabetes Research Institute is so exciting.

A year after transplanting insulin-producing islet cells into the omentum of a woman with a particularly unwieldy form of type 1 diabetes, the cells continue to operate as hoped. She no longer needs to receive insulin via injections or an insulin pump and is in good health.

By using the omentum, a fatty membrane in the belly, as the transplant site, the researchers were able to avoid complications associated with the traditionally used site, the liver. The longterm goal of the research is to identify a suitable location for a pancreas-mimicking mini-organ called the BioHub. Based on this patients response, the omentum is looking like it just may be the ideal spot.

Prior to this transplant, the patients entire life revolved around her diabetes. Her quality of life was severely impacted. She had to move in with her parents. And, if she traveled, she had to travel with her father, the studys lead author, Dr. David Baidal, told HealthDay.

Unfortunately, shes not alone in having diabetes control her life. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 9.3 percent of the United States population has diabetes, and 28.7 percent of those people have to inject insulin to manage their disease. If improperly treated, diabetes can lead to a range of ailments, from blindness and high blood pressure to nerve damage or even death.

This patients positive reaction to her islet cells transplant could be the first step to helping those millions of people live normal, healthy lives free from the burden of constantly managing their disease. Were exploring a way to optimize islet cell therapy to a larger population, said Baidal. This study gives us hope for a different transplant approach.

See the article here:
A Patient With Diabetes No Longer Needs Insulin After Receiving A Bioengineered Pancreas - Futurism

KJZZ

Diabetes Patients And Tech Companies See Value In Continuous Glucose Monitoring KJZZ Yehuda Friedman is a hockey fanatic. When the 11-year-old isn't on the ice, he's zooming around his house in Phoenix on rollerblades, taking shots on the net in the living room. But two years ago Yehuda started feeling lethargic and lost a bunch of weight.

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Diabetes Patients And Tech Companies See Value In Continuous Glucose Monitoring - KJZZ

The American Diabetes Association is teaching Mick Mulvaney, who serves as head of the Office of Management and Budget under President Donald Trump, a valuable lesson about human biology.

On Thursday, Mulvaney told an audience at the Light Forum at Stanford University that people who get diabetes may not deserve affordable health insurance.

That doesnt mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmels kid? I dont think that it is, Mulvaney told the audience, according to a report by the Washington Examiner.

Butas the American Diabetes Association pointed out in a public statement on Friday, the notion that the condition is solely caused by poor lifestyle choices is both offensive and inaccurate.

All of the scientific evidence indicates that diabetes develops from a diverse set of risk factors, genetics being a primary cause, the statement said. People with diabetes need access to affordable health care in order to effectively manage their disease and prevent dangerous and costly complications. Nobody should be denied coverage or charged more based on their health status.

This isnt the first time that Mulvaney has made comments which critics perceived as calloused and factually challenged. In March, Mulvaney caught flak for arguing that cutting funds to Meals on Wheels was probably one of the most compassionate things we can do because it allowed the government to guarantee to you that that money is actually being used in a proper function.

Not only was this remark derided for its insensitivity, but it ignored the fact that Meals on Wheels has been demonstrably very effective.

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Mick Mulvaney gets schooled about diabetes after saying it's caused by poor lifestyle choices - Salon

Diabetes during pregnancy has long frustrated doctors trying to discern why some women are more at risk for the disease than others. Though some factors have been associated with increased risk for the condition, including age, family history, excess weight and race, many questions remain.

A new study published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal looked at 396,828 pregnant women and found another potential factor that could increase the risk for gestational diabetes: rising temperatures.

"There is also growing evidence supporting a link between air temperature, metabolic function and energy expenditure," the authors wrote.

Researchers at the Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, studied 555,911 births from women in the Toronto area between 2002 and 2014 to see if certain temperatures were associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes.

They studied the average temperatures for 30 days before a pregnant woman's routine test for gestational diabetes, which occurs at 27 weeks.

They found that the prevalence of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes was higher if there the weather was warmer shortly before they were diagnosed. When the average temperature was above 24 degrees Celsius, or about 75 degrees Fahrenheit, approximately 7.7 percent of women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes. When the average temperature was below -10 degrees Celsius, or about 14 degrees Fahrenheit, just 4.6 percent of pregnant women studied were diagnosed with the condition.

"If the association between air temperature and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus is real, then modifying the thermal environment (e.g., lowering the setting on a home thermostat or spending more time outdoors in cooler weather) may reduce risk of gestational diabetes mellitus," the authors concluded.

Previous studies have found that cold temperature can have major changes on how the body processes fat and adipose tissue. Cold temperatures are associated with an increase of "brown fat" in the body, which can improve glucose levels and metabolism, according to at least one published study by the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. David Hackney, Division Chief, Maternal Fetal Medicine at UH Cleveland Medical Center, said the study was interesting and joins a growing number looking at how temperature can affect effect the body's metabolism.

It's an "area of concern due to issues regarding rising temperatures and global warming," Hackney said. "We're starting to see a rising number of studies across a number of different fields."

This study is a start. He said that far more research would need to be done to correlate simple temperature changes to rates of gestational diabetes. There may be several factors that could create the relationship.

"As the temperature changes, maybe they go outside less or there's impacts on activity levels or changes in particles of the air," Hackney said.

Gestational diabetes is associated with a host of birth complications. Some fetuses can become extremely large in the womb and become injured during the birthing process or an emergency cesarean section may be required to safely deliver the baby.

Newborns with mothers who had gestational diabetes may also suffer from low blood sugar immediately after delivery. Hackney said there are concerns they could be at increased risk for metabolic issues as they grow older.

For women, having gestational diabetes can increases risk for type 2 diabetes even years after giving birth.

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Gestational diabetes may increase with warmer days, study finds - ABC News

Rates of newly diagnosed cases of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasing among children and teens in the United States, according to a report published in theNew England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The fastest rise is among racial/ethnic minority groups.

As reported in Diabetes Care, in the United States in 2009, an estimated 191,986 youth under age 20 had diabetes; 166,984 had type 1 diabetes, 20,262 had type 2 diabetes, and 4,740 had other types.

Here are four things MCOs should know about the study and why diabetes rates are increasing in young populations.

1. The drivers of increased diabetes are very different for type 1 and type 2 diabetes

The NEJM study is the first one to estimate trends in newly diagnosed cases of diabetes types 1 and 2 in youths from the United States five major racial/ethnic groupsnon-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. The study included 11,244 youth ages 0 to 19 with type 1 diabetes and 2,846 youth ages 10 to 19 with type 2 diabetes.

The reason for increasing incidences of diabetes is most likely very different for types 1 and 2 diabetes, because they are very different in their etiologies, says Elizabeth J. Mayer-Davis, PhD, the lead author of the study and professor and chair, Department of Nutrition, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Both involve genetic influences, although the specific genes involved are quite different for the two types, and environmental and behavioral factors are likely very different.

For type 1, the specific environmental or behavioral triggers that push the autoimmune process to destroy cells that produce insulin are unknown. For type 2, its believed that childhood obesitywhich has increasedis the main culprit, Mayer-Davis says.

Giuseppina Imperatore, MD, PhD, a study co-author and epidemiologist at the CDCs Division of Diabetes Translation, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, adds that several reports have also shown that exposure to maternal diabetes in utero has been associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes in youth. Other factors, yet to be identified, may also contribute to reduced insulin secretion in youth.

2. Rates of newly diagnosed diabetes are higher for type 2 diabetes

The source of data for the NEJM study, TheSEARCH for Diabetes in Youth studyfunded by the CDC and the National Institutes of Health found that from 2002 to 2012, the rate of newly diagnosed cases of type 1 diabetes in youth increased by about 1.8% each year. During the same period, the rate of newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes increased more quickly, at 4.8%.

As our study has shown, there are differences in risk for both diabetes types 1 and 2 across the various racial and ethnic groups, Imperatore says. Understanding these differences is crucial for identifying factors that lead to these diseases.

More:
Rising diabetes rates in children: Four things health execs should know - ModernMedicine

RELATED: Sign up for Lillys track walk

NASCAR fans, get ready to get physical: NASCAR.com is launching a Fit Row series that focuses on the health and fitness aspects of racing and its superstar drivers. Presented by Lilly Diabetes, the exclusive diabetes health partner of NASCAR, the series will feature 10 themed stories and include coverage from Lillys track walk on May 26 from 2-4 p.m. ET at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

With the Fit Row Series, fans will get an inside scoop into how drivers such as Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and more stay fit, and learn simple tips that focus on areas such as talking to your doctor and making lifestyle changes through healthy eating and exercising that can give you a win when it comes to diseases like diabetes.

In addition to simple healthy tips for consumers, Lilly Diabetes aims to stress an element through the Fit Row series that NASCAR drivers know all too well: Perseverance. Everyone has setbacks and struggles in life, but perseverance is especially important during these times of trials so that you can feel healthy and continue to do the things you love to do.

The goal of Lilly Diabetes driving awareness and education is critical to NASCAR as many of our fans are affected by the disease, NASCAR Vice President of Partnership Marketing Lou Garate said at the time. The rate of Americans developing diabetes continues to rise, and we hope this partnership can help make a positive change in peoples lives.

The Lilly Diabetes #DriveYourHealth Track Walk is the official kick-off event of the Lilly Diabetes and NASCAR health and wellness initiative. The walk aims to encourage NASCAR fans to take action to better manage their diabetes and/or overall health, starting by pledging to walk 1.5 miles around the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Lilly Diabetes which remains the primary sponsor of XFINITY Series driver and 2017 Daytona winner Ryan Reed increased its relationship with the sanctioning body in March, when it was announced as NASCARs official health partner.

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This isn't the only plan to cure T1D, of course. The FDA approved the first automated system for T1D last September, while other research teams study the possible effects stem cells and 3D printing techniques. This is the first time omentum-implanted islet cells have produced long-term insulin independence in a patient who has T1D, however. The medical team took donor islets and combined them with the patient's own blood plasma. This mixture was then layered onto the patient's omentum via a laproscopic incision.

Islets are clusters of endocrine cells throughout the pancreas; they secrete insulin and glucagon in people without diabetes. These insulin-producing cells have previously been implanted in the liver, but the technique can cause inflammation. The new "tissue-engineered" implant site of the omentum has no such issue and can be accessed with minimally invasive surgery. It also has a similar blood supply and drainage as the pancreas, which is where insulin is typically produced. The result is then a mini-pancreas that supplies insulin more naturally to the patient with diabetes.

"The results thus far have shown that the omentum appears to be a viable site for islet implantation using this new platform technique," said the lead author of the study, David Baidal. "Data from our study and long-term follow up of additional omental islet transplants will determine the safety and feasibility of this strategy of islet transplantation, but we are quite excited about what we are seeing now."

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Implanting pancreatic cells in your gut could cure diabetes - Engadget

FierceBiotech

Diabetes drug may help symptoms of autism-associated condition Science Daily Christos Gkogkas, Chancellor's Fellow at the University of Edinburgh's Patrick Wild Centre explained that "metformin has been extensively used as a therapy for type 2 diabetes for more than 30 years, and its safety and tolerability are well documented.". Diabetes drug metformin shows promise in treating one form of autismFierceBiotech all 4 news articles »

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Diabetes drug may help symptoms of autism-associated condition - Science Daily

BGR is out with a report today that mostly echoes previous claimsthat Apple is working on diabetes treatment technology for an upcoming future version of theApple Watch.

According to our source, Apples sights are now set on the epidemic of diabetes, and the company plans to introduce a game-changing glucose monitoring feature in an upcoming Apple WatchOur source indicatesthat Apple has hired 200 PhDs in the past year as part of the companyslaser lock on improving and innovating in the health space with Apple Watch.

Todays report is quite light on any actual details about how the technology would work, but it also claims Apple has interchangeable smart watch bands of sorts that it speculates could be used to facilitate the diabetes treatment.

Apple also plans to introduce interchangeable smart watch bands that add various functionality to the Apple Watch without added complexity, and without increasing the price of the watch itself. This could also mean that the glucose monitoring feature will be implemented as part of a smart band, rather than being built into the watch hardware.

Last month CNBC reported much of what BGR is saying today, claiming that Apple is developing a breakthrough solution for treating diabetes with Apple Watch and has a team dedicated to the project. That report claimed the development of the technology was far along enough for Apple to be conducting feasibility trials at clinical sites across the Bay Area as it prepared for the regulatory process required for such a medical device.

As for how the technology works, CNBCs report said sources indicated research was being done on a method that shines light through the skin to measure glucose levels.

Its also not the first time weve heard about the concept of smart bands, i.e. bands that would connect to the watch and provide additional functionality via sensors or other tech not built into the watch itself. Apple itself has filed patent applications for a band that integrates batteries to charge the watch and extend its battery life on the go.

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Another report claims Apple working on diabetes treatment tech for Apple Watch, this time via 'smart bands' - 9to5Mac

CBS Minnesota / WCCO

Teen Creates Fashionable, Durable Diabetes Tape WCCO | CBS ... CBS Minnesota / WCCO A University of St. Thomas freshman is not waiting for her college degree to pave her own career path. and more »

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Teen Creates Fashionable, Durable Diabetes Tape WCCO | CBS ... - CBS Minnesota / WCCO

CREDIT: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

A top White House official tried to defend the American Health Care Act (AHCA) the GOPs response to Obamacareearlier this week by implying that health care systems shouldnt help someone who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes.

According to the Washington Examiner, Mick Mulvaney of the Office of Management and Budget delivered the line on Thursday while speaking to the LIGHT Forum at Stanford University. Mulvaney was asked whether he agreed with the Jimmy Kimmel testor the idea famously forwarded by the late-night show host that No parent should ever have to decide if they can afford to save their childs life. Kimmel made the quip while delivering an impassioned account of his newborn sons struggle to survive a congenital heart disease.

Mulvaney said he agreed with the idea in principle, but with one a very specific caveat: taxpayers shouldnt help people who fall ill because of, ostensibly, their own actions.

That doesnt mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes, Mulvaney said. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmels kid? I dont think that it is.

Mulvaney was attempting to defend the AHCA, which was narrowly approved by House of Representatives this month without a single Democratic vote. In its current form, the bill would essentially allow insurance companies to price people with pre-existing conditions out of the health insurance marketplace. Meanwhile, so-called Trumpcare includes a $880 billion cut to Medicaid, which stands to result in roughly 24 million Americans losing their health insurance because of premium increases.

Mulvaneys statement was widely panned by progressives as compassionless, but diabetes advocates also noted that it is also inaccurate: The American Diabetes Association was quick to condemn Mulvaneys remarks, saying they are extremely disappointed and describing his statement as misinformed.

Mr. Mulvaneys comments perpetuate the stigma that one chooses to have diabetes based on his/her lifestyle, the statement read. We are also deeply troubled by his assertion that access to health care should be rationed or denied to anyone. All of the scientific evidence indicates that diabetes develops from a diverse set of risk factors, genetics being a primary cause. People with diabetes need access to affordable health care in order to effectively manage their disease and prevent dangerous and costly complications. Nobody should be denied coverage or charged more based on their health status.

Indeed, poor diet and lack of exercise does not appear to have been the cause of diabetes for professional athletes who suffer from the disease, such U.S. soccer star Jordan Morris.

Whats more, Huffington Post health care reporter Jonathan Cohn pointed out that health care systems that attempt to segregate patients by medical condition (or, presumably, how they acquired their condition) often hurt all people with illnesses, because the practice almost inevitably leads to shabby care for the sick, regardless of how they got that way.

Roughly two-thirds of the states operated [condition-segregated health care systems] before the Affordable Care Act took effect, and they inevitably offered coverage that was less affordable, less available or less comprehensive than standard policies, he said.

The idea that the needy somehow contributed to their own plightand that more privileged Americans shouldnt be required to care for themis an old conservative argument traditionally applied to economics. In 2013, Republican and then-congressman Stephen Fincher attempted to justify cutting food stamps by misquoting a Biblical verse, declaring Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) repeated the exact same verse earlier this year to justify increasing the work requirements for unemployed adults on the food stamp program.

Now the same idea is reemergingoften with religious undertonesas a way to cut ostensibly underserving sick people out of health care systems. In March, Rep. Roger Marshall (R-KS) argued against Medicaid expansion by arguing that society will always have sick people.

Just like Jesus said, The poor will always be with us, Marshall told Stat News in March, citing scripture in a way that arguably belies its original intent. There is a group of people that just dont want health care and arent going to take care of themselves.

Just, like, homeless people. I think just morally, spiritually, socially, [some people] just dont want health care, he added. The Medicaid population, which is [on] a free credit card, as a group, do probably the least preventive medicine and taking care of themselves and eating healthy and exercising. And Im not judging, Im just saying socially thats where they are. So theres a group of people that even with unlimited access to health care are only going to use the emergency room when their arm is chopped off or when their pneumonia is so bad they get brought [into] the ER.

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Top Trump official says we shouldn't take care of someone who 'eats poorly and gets diabetes' - ThinkProgress

After being diagnosed with diabetes, every meal became a complicated math lesson.

Barbara Goldsmith had to become vigilant about everything she put in her body. The Edinburgh resident meticulously counted carbohydrates, too many of which can spike her blood sugar level and wreak havoc on her body.

She calculated how much she has eaten, and immediately following a meal, factored in housework, gardening or some other activity so that her sugars dont rise to unsafe levels.

On top of the four different medications she takes, diabetes has shifted everything in Goldsmiths life. But changing her lifestyle has been her only option.

Lauren Witt unpacks the blood sugar monitor that she keeps with her at all times. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

The blood sugar monitor and testing strips that Lauren Witt keeps with her at all times. Witt, 29, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt sets up the blood sugar monitor and testing strips that she keeps with her at all times. If her blood sugar, or glucose, reaches a certain level, she may need an emergency shot of insulin. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt sets up the blood sugar monitor and testing strips that she keeps with her at all times. If her blood sugar, or glucose, reaches a certain level, she may need an emergency shot of insulin. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt sets up the blood sugar monitor and testing strips that she keeps with her at all times. If her blood sugar, or glucose, reaches a certain level, she may need an emergency shot of insulin. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. Ryan Trares

The different types of insulin that Lauren Witt keeps with her at all times in case of a diabetic emergency. The 29-year-old was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

Lauren Witt, 29, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago, and utilized the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center in Franklin to learn about testing her glucose levels, managing her diet and adapting her lifestyle to the disease. Ryan Trares

Watch what you eat and how much you eat. If you have medication, take it. Watch your sugar, and try to stay active. Those are the main things, she said. I dont know what would happen to me if I dont do that.

More and more Johnson County residents such as Goldsmith are living with diabetes or are on their way to developing it in the future. The disease has become worryingly more prevalent throughout Indiana, growing by more than 50 percent from 2000 to 2009.

Battling the growing epidemic has required a multi-faceted approach. Health officials have focused on educating patients about ways to avoid the disease, stressing diet and exercise, and teaching how the sugars we consume impact the body.

The hope is to stem the increase of new cases, while helping people already diagnosed live healthier and minimize the impact.

Diabetes is a global epidemic. Its out of control, said Dr. Gaston Dana of Johnson Memorial Internal Medicine Specialists. Once you develop it, you have it for life. By realizing that you can make changes in lifestyle that can significantly impact that, you can possibly stop that.

Diabetes is broad term for diseases characterized by high levels of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. The disease is caused by defects in insulin production, how insulin acts in the body, or a combination of both. Insulin is a hormone necessary for the regulation of blood glucose levels.

When insulin production and action in the body works improperly, complications such as heart disease, stroke, amputation and blindness can occur. At its worst, the disease can cause death.

The disease can come in varying forms. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks beta cells in the pancreas, the only cells in the body that make insulin to regulate glucose.

Type 2 is the more common form, accounting for between 90 and 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. The bodys cells start resisting insulin and not using it properly, which eventually causes the pancreas to lose the ability to make it.

Diabetes levels in Indiana, particularly Type 2, have risen sharply since 2000, climbing from 6 percent of the population to 12.9 percent. In Johnson County, 11 percent of people have the disease. Treating diabetes costs Indiana $6.6 billion in medical costs each year, according to the American Diabetes Association.

I would say its over 50 percent of our patient population that is dealing with diabetes, Dana said.

Many of those people are referred to the Diabetes Care Center at Johnson Memorial Health, where specialists help patients adapt to what is a consuming and jarring diagnosis.

No one wants to have this diagnosis. Probably 50 percent of the people who sit in front of me are angry and in denial, said Carla Duncan, a registered nurse at the Diabetes Care Center. Theyre not hearing a word that I say, so you have to find a way to connect to them.

The staff works to ensure their patients understands what their disease is and what theyll be going through. They explain the genetic factors of the disease, how things such as being overweight, skipping meals or smoking can turn the hereditary aspects of diabetes on. Medication and how it can impact the disease is also covered.

The key is to help people understand how the disease is managed now, Duncan said.

A lot of the people who come here have preconceived ideas and old beliefs about diabetes. My grandma did this, it worked for her 50 years ago, why are you telling me something different now,' she said. So just making people realize that what we knew 50 years ago is different than what we know now about diabetes.

Lauren Witt was 24 when she was diagnosed with diabetes. She noticed that she was losing a lot of weight, despite still eating the same amount she always had. Her vision would get blurry, and on one occurrence, she passed out.

A blood test confirmed that her glucose levels were incredibly high. Once doctors determined that she had Type 1 diabetes, she was referred to Duncan to help manage the disease. She helped Witt learn to take insulin, count carbohydrates and learn more about nutrition.

(Duncan) has been so helpful. I call her my diabetes mom. She always takes care of me, and I can count on her to help with whatever questions I have, she said.

In the five years since diagnosis, Witt has adapted every part of her life around the disease.

It affects everything I do. When I wake up, I need to make sure sugar is decent, that I didnt get too low during the night. When I exercise, I have to have something to eat with me because my blood sugar can drop quickly. And everything I eat I have to count, she said. A lot of people dont know a lot about food, so to learn actual nutrition helped me comprehend everything better.

Lifestyle is a huge focus for patients with diabetes, Duncan said. Many of the people they see dont exercise, eat poorly or smoke, contributing to and exasperating the situation. Misconceptions about the disease also have to be overcome.

People have to adjust the food they consume, when and how much they eat, factor in exercise and adapt to the medications.

Changing your lifestyle is probably the hardest thing in the world. We want everybody else in the world to change, but not us. When were told to change, it gets very uncomfortable, Duncan said. The key to being successful at this is helping the patient get to that point in their life, when they say theyre ready to change.

Goldsmith was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes around 2005 but refused to change much about her life. She had always eaten whatever she wanted and didnt do much exercising.

Though she was told to watch her concentrated sugars, she didnt pay attention. She kept gaining weight, reaching 171 pounds at the most.

I knew I was diabetic, but I just didnt do anything about it. I didnt watch myself. Thats what got me out of control, she said.

But during a checkup with her doctor, a blood test revealed that Goldsmiths glucose levels were almost twice the normal levels.

(My doctor) was very upset with me. She put me on medication, and sent me to Carla, she said. Without their help I wouldnt be where I am today.

Duncan schooled Goldsmith on portion control, how to count her carbohydrates so that too much wouldnt spike her glucose levels.

Living a more active lifestyle was also very important. Goldsmith hurt her back, which prevents her from walking long distances or running. But after she eats, she makes sure to do housework, finish the dishes, take care of laundry anything to keep moving.

The more I move around after I eat, the better my blood sugar numbers will be. If you eat a meal and sit down, let it absorb, it will screw up your numbers, she said.

Following Duncans advice, Goldsmith lost 40 pounds and dropped to 133. Her blood sugar levels have stabilized and she feels better than she has for years.

In addition to her diet and exercise, she takes one pill after breakfast, and three others after dinner to help her body regulate her blood sugar. Three times a day, she has to test her blood to monitor her sugar levels.

Medical professionals measure blood sugar to determine if a patient has diabetes. A normal blood glucose level is below 5.7 percent, while diabetes is diagnosed if that level is 6.5 percent of above.

Patients need to know how different factors affect their blood sugar, how to test it and what those numbers mean.

Even most people who have had diabetes for many years cant tell me what their blood sugar should be, Duncan said.

Duncan and her staff also work with people who come to the center with prediabetes their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet reaching the level to be considered diabetes. The condition can often be reversed with lifestyle changes, such as improving your diet and getting more exercise.

They have to know how to do that, though, Duncan said.

Weight loss, exercise, diet. Most people with prediabetes need to lose a little bit of weight, probably arent as active as they need to be, she said. Our goal is more about lifestyle. By changing lifestyle, we can change that diagnosis back to normal to prevent the diagnosis of diabetes until later in life.

If you go

Diabetes education series

What: A series of workshops and informational meetings presented by the Johnson Memorial Health Diabetes Care Center teaching people about diabetes, blood sugar and other aspects of nutrition and the disease.

Where: Johnson County Public Library, Franklin Branch, 401 State St.

Next session: 1 to 3 p.m. June 22, focusing on sugars and carbohydrates, reading a food label and balancing your plate.

Additional workshop: 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 28

Cost: Free. No registration necessary.

Information: (317) 346-3846 or JohnsonMemorial.org/Diabetes

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